In this church, Ephesus, their discernment was very high, they could understand evil, they knew the false from the Truth, their labor, they were not fainting but God had one thing against them and He said: return to your first works. You may be doing good things but they may not be the first works that He is expecting you to return to Him, your first love.
Your zeal can cause you to run first steps ahead of Him. You may be doing what He told you to do but He is still behind you. We can lose Him as we do what He told us to. All we do is dead works, if He is not with you.
When God is not our first love, we can’t love ourselves or our neighbors. You may be doing it the same things you did before but your heart is not fully His. You can’t return to the first works if you don’t return to the first love.
Remember where you fell and return to Him as soon as possible.
He is the kingdom. Seek the kingdom first. In the kingdom of God there is no hidden agenda, it may be hidden in your eyes or in the eyes of others. But God sees it all.
How you find it again? David said “ As the deer pants for water, so pants his soul for God”. Just like that. We may love Him, but are we desperate for Him? “I am missing God. My tears show how much I am missing Him “. David was screaming after God for meat. He was searching for His first love. He was rending his heart. That’s how we go back to our first love.
“You have got hold of the Truth, you have all but don’t forget Me.”, He is saying. Let’s look at Peter: “ Peter, did you catch any fish?” “ How is your outreach?” “How was the mission trip?” He really meant: “ Do you think you can really do this without Me?” He wants to do His things, His way. Peter was out there, no covering, doing His thing without God. The sea became His fig leaves.
When you have the presence back, you can do much more then without it. Without formulas, tradition, invitations, just you and the presence! “Do you love Me, more than these?” we said all the time “ Yes, I do” but we have left Him (our first love) long time ago.
Peter was grieved. The Holy Spirit was already convincing him that He had left his first love. If we love Him FIRST we will take care of the least of these. We must be in love with Him first. He fished all night and caught nothing but Jesus came and then he had the presence of the King and he produced the biggest catch of his lifetime. He was trying to go back to the old ways. But at the end, He understood. He returned to Him and He returned just for him and us.”
Word: Rev 2:1-7 – Matt 22:33-40 – John 21
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